Ingredients

　　4 tablespoons butter

　　3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　2 cups heavy cream

　　2 cups half-and-half

　　2 Knorr fish-flavor bouillon cubes

　　1 pound crabmeat, picked free of any broken shells

　　1/4 cup sherry

　　1/2 teaspoon white pepper

　　One 8-ounce bottle clam juice (optional)

　　Grated Parmesan and snipped chives, for garnish

　　Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, stirring to blend it in, then add the garlic. Gradually add the cream and half-and-half, stirring constantly. Add the bouillon cubes and stir well. As the mixture begins to thicken, add the crabmeat, then the sherry and pepper. If the stew seems too thick, thin it with clam juice, which will also add a lot of flavor. Serve in a mug, garnished with grated Parmesan and snipped chives.

　　The Lady & Sons, Too! by Paula Deen. © 2001 by Paula H. Deen. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Paula H. Deen was born and raised in Albany, Georgia. She later moved to Savannah, where she and her two sons, Bobby and Jamie, started the Bag Lady catering company. The business took off and evolved into The Lady & Sons Restaurant, which is located in Savannah’s historic district and specializes in Southern cooking. Paula is the host of Food Network’s Paula’s Home Cooking and is a regular guest on QVC, where her cookbooks are one of the newtowrk’s biggest sellers.